Sweet dreams on a double-decker

MAN Bus Modification Center (BMC) converts NEOPLAN Skyliner into a touring bus with 20 bunks | In operation with Happyday Hanke Nightlinerservice | Thanks to the modular approach, the interior equipment can be flexibly fitted and reconfigured – and even returned to its series-production state

The MAN Bus Modification Center transformed a NEOPLAN Skyliner into a touring bus with 20 on-board bunks for the firm Happyday Hanke Nightlinerservice.

The MAN Bus Modification Center has fitted out a touring bus for the firm Happyday Hanke. In the NEOPLAN Skyliner, artists can not only travel to their shows in comfort, but also get a sound night's sleep in their bus afterwards.

From the outside, the white double-decker looks just like a perfectly normal NEOPLAN Skyliner, with the exception of the LED lighting around the edges. Appearances can be deceiving, as you discover when you step inside the latest addition to Happyday Hanke Nightlinerservice's fleet: on the bottom deck, four dos-à-dos tables provide a pleasant cosiness during the journey, while the galley and its ceramic hob offer the very best catering facilities. The on-board WC even boasts an integrated shower with a dedicated 63-litre fresh water tank.

On the upper deck of the customised NEOPLAN Skyliner, there are 18 bunks and a rear lounge that can be transformed into a double bed in just a few steps.

The special features on the upper deck are even more obvious: anyone who climbs the stairs of the double-decker bus will find themselves amongst an array of beds mounted on the side walls, each in the form of a double bunk. An unbelievable 20 people can lay their heads down to rest at the same time in the Skyliner; 18 of these in the double bunks and two in the rear lounge, which can be transformed into a bed in just a few steps. There is also a quiet spot for the driver to relax next to their workplace, where a bed can be folded out of the front stairs.

One particularly noteworthy fact is that the MAN Bus Modification Center used a modular system when fitting out the bus and restricted itself to using retaining points in the existing rails, meaning that the interior equipment can be flexibly fitted and reconfigured if required. The double-deck vehicle can even be returned to its series-production state.

On the upper deck of the customised NEOPLAN Skyliner, there are 18 bunks and a rear lounge that can be transformed into a double bed in just a few steps.

But first of all, the NEOPLAN Skyliner is going on tour. The integrated hi-fi equipment and multimedia system with various monitors create the appropriate atmosphere on board. It goes without saying that power sockets next to the seats and bunks are indispensable, as are refrigerators on the upper and lower decks. A dual-zone rear air conditioning system that can regulate the upper and lower decks individually, a convector heater and two step unit heaters all maintain the perfect climate while on the road. Once at the show venue, this task is assumed by a stationary air conditioning system with an electric air conditioning compressor in the luggage compartment, which can be powered using a 380-volt external connection. There are also 380 litres of heating oil on board.

The passengers are just as extraordinary as the bus itself. The bus firm Happyday Hanke uses this NEOPLAN Skyliner to transport touring musicians and bands, for example. Hanke attaches great importance to assistance systems for this reason. A vast array of these guarantee the greatest possible safety in the NEOPLAN Skyliner, including emergency braking assistance (EBA), ride dynamics control (ESP) and a lane guard system (LGS), not to mention the electronically controlled shock absorbers of the MAN ComfortDriveSuspension (CDS). These all make sure that this very special double-decker is perfectly equipped for its tours throughout Europe.